In many current applications, track shoes are attached to track links, which are part of the track chain, used on the endless track drives of machines in the construction, earth moving, and mining industries, etc. These track shoes are often attached to the track links using a bolted connection. More specifically, the track shoe is attached to the underside of the track link using a bolt that extends through aligned apertures of the track link and the track shoes where the free end of the bolt mates with a track nut that contacts a pocket formed in the track link. As a user torques the head of the bolt until it contacts the track shoe, the track nut is held in place by the pocket of the track link, preventing rotation of the track nut. As a result, the bolt is drawn upward toward the track nut, compressing a portion of the track link and the track shoe until a reliable bolted connection is achieved.
In some applications, a loosening of the bolted connection of the track shoe to the track link occurs over time. This may lead to the track shoe falling off the track link or other operational and maintenance issues that may lead to lost time and unwanted costs.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,726,570 to Wetherill et al. discloses a track nut with specialized geometry. More specifically, the track nut has one end that is substantially circularly shaped and another end that is square shaped. This geometry fool proofs the assembly of the nut into pocket of the track link so that if the nut is reversed such that the circular portion is in the pocket, the nut will rotate with the bolt, preventing tightening of the bolted joint (see FIG. 3 of Wetherill et al). However, if the nut is properly installed in the pocket of the track link, the nut is held in place, allowing tightening of the bolted joint (see FIGS. 1 and 2 of Wetherill et al). This construction helps to ensure that when the nut is properly installed, enough bearing area is provided between the nut and the pocket of the track link so that the bolted connection is not as susceptible to loosening over time (see FIG. 4 of Wetherill et al).
However, it is has been discovered that such loosening may still occur over time and there is no solution currently offered in the field of track chains to prevent the loosening of the bolted connection. Accordingly, a method and associated apparatus is needed to prevent this unwanted loosening of the bolted connection.